When Roger Federer won his fourteenth Grand Slam singles title a few weeks ago in Paris, the number one storyline for the 2009 Wimbledon Championships became etched in stone. But as the world’s most prestigious tennis tournament gets set to start in suburban London, the gentlemen’s singles competition now owns a second supreme theme: Life’s dandy if you’re an Andy.

Yes, the top headline this year at the Big W concerns Federer’s quest for a record-setting 15th slam championship, but if there was a spirited battle for a second significant subplot at SW19, the duel ended when Nadal, the 2008 titlist, announced on Friday that he wouldn’t compete in the 128-man event. An entire sport heaved with disappointment, while the ranks of casual sports fans–brought back to tennis by last year’s Wimbledon final–realized that they will not see a fourth consecutive Roger-and-Rafa Show on the concluding Sunday of Britain’s most fabled summer fortnight. Yet, amidst the gloom and emptiness that greeted Rafa’s sad statements, there were a few men who had to inwardly smile. Need a hint? They both have the same first name.

A look at the gentlemen’s singles draw, announced before Nadal’s decision but then readjusted to accommodate Rafa’s absence, will tell you exactly why Andy Murray and Andy Roddick have the opportunity of a lifetime when Wimbledon begins anew.

GENTLEMEN’S SINGLES DRAW: ANALYSIS & PREDICTIONS

Top Quarter

Originally, the top-seeded Nadal (he still bears that distinction, even though he dropped out of the tournament) would have occupied this portion of the bracket. Without Rafa, fifth-seeded Argentine Juan Martin del Potro will occupy the Spaniard’s spot. It would take a minor miracle for del Potro to fall short of the quarterfinals, and the same can be said for the sixth-seeded Roddick.

A look at this quarter indicates that only three men–Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt, and 12th-seeded Nikolay Davydenko–have reached more than one Grand Slam semifinal in their careers. Hewitt is a shadow of his former self, and would be hard-pressed to dump Delpo in a potential second-round match. Davydenko has always hated the lawns of Wimbledon, and therefore can’t be taken seriously as a title contender. This draw–with Roger Federer nowhere to be found and Nadal resting for the summer hardcourt season–is a gift from the gods to Roddick, who lost to Federer in three straight Wimbledons (2003-2005) and would have owned at least one championship if the Swiss had not flourished over the past six years. Del Potro is coming into his own, but on grass, Roddick’s powerful serve and improved footwork should lead the American back to the final four at the tournament that’s eluded his grasp.

Predicted Quarterfinal Matchup: del Potro v. Roddick. Semifinalist: Roddick.

Second Quarter

This region of the men’s bracket feels an awful lot like the French Open.

Andy Murray with a No. 3 seed? Just like Paris–check.

Fernando Gonzalez in the other sub-section? Just like Roland Garros–check.

Gonzalez–despite a double-digit seed (10 here at Wimbledon, 12 in France)–being gifted with the presence of fading Frenchman Gilles Simon in his corner of the draw? Check.

Murray and Gonzo being headed for yet another matchup in a slam quarterfinal? Check.

There’s just a pair of important differences between the French and Wimbledon, however: 1) This match–if it does indeed emerge–will take place on grass, and not the slower clay which plays to the Chilean’s hitting zone. 2) Murray, attempting to win Britain’s first men’s singles title in any slam event since Fred Perry turned the trick in 1936, will have the Centre Court crowd fully in his corner. The Nadal-free nature of this draw gives the Scotsman a glorious chance to move through the top half of the men’s field. The pressure on the 22-year-old will be immense, but Murray’s rise to prominence on the ATP Tour has been powered by the greatest weapon any elite athlete can own: a level head. As long as he remains composed, Murray can use his strong return game and considerable variety to break down opponents in key situations.

Predicted Quarterfinal Matchup: Murray v. Gonzalez. Semifinalist: Murray.

Third Quarter

Aside of the two Andys–Roddick and Murray–the other man who has to be turning cartwheels in response to Nadal’s absence is fourth-seeded Novak Djokovic. When Rafa chose recuperation over competition, the struggling Serb might have gained the tonic that will revive not only his spirits, but his game.

Djokovic staggered out of Paris with a sorely disappointing third-round loss to Philipp Kohlschreiber at the French Open, and many experts still think that the 22-year-old is ripe for an early upset in suburban London. However, the Nadal withdrawal means that Djokovic will not have a top-10 seed in his quarter. Juan Martin del Potro–initially placed with Djokovic as the No. 5 seed–shifted to Nadal’s quarter. Del Potro’s spot is being taken by No. 17 seed James Blake, a talented but limited performer who has never reached a Grand Slam semifinal. Djokovic isn’t terrifically comfortable on grass, but with few heavy hitters around him, the fourth seed is likely to advance to the semifinals. If he can get past big-serving American Mardy Fish (the No. 28 seed) in a potential third-rounder, Djokovic is a likely bet for the final four, despite the disappointing nature of his past month of play.

Predicted Quarterfinal Matchup: Tommy Haas v. Djokovic. Semifinalist: Djokovic.

Bottom Quarter

Huge hitters filled the bottom quarter of the ladies’ draw, and the same is true for the gentlemen’s field as well. Roger Federer might be full of confidence as he proudly brings his French Open trophy to Britain, but the Swiss will have his work cut out for him, because he’s almost certain to encounter the kinds of players who, if they catch fire, can be very dangerous on grass.

Federer’s probable third-round opponent is Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber, who–as previously noted–upended Djokovic a few weeks ago in Paris, and who also unseated Andy Roddick from the 2008 Australian Open with a superior display of shotmaking. Kohlschreiber lacks match-to-match consistency, but can be downright dynamic and devastating when he’s fully dialed in. Much as Federer caught hot opponents at the French, the 14-time major champion could face trouble when he stares down Kohlschreiber in round three.

If Fed is able to advance to week two, he’ll meet either Robin Soderling–who showed his bona fides by making the French Open final–or hard-serving lefty Feliciano Lopez, whose best Grand Slam showings (a quarterfinalist on multiple occasions) have come at Wimbledon. If the second-seeded Federer vaults past that test, the huge-serving, net-crashing presence of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga could very possibly await in the quarterfinals.

All these potential opponents–particularly Lopez and Tsonga–seek to end points quickly with their serve and, if necessary, a follow-up forehand. Inadequate groundstrokes matter a lot on clay or a slow hardcourt surface, but on grass, where the ball skids and stays low, the ability to win points quickly becomes exponentially more valuable. Lopez and Tsonga (and also Soderling and Kohlschreiber to a certain extent) represent the foes who can potentially bother Federer, in that they can serve from a tree and turn matches into serving contests decided by tiebreaks. When Federer can’t get into a rhythm from the backcourt, his own strokes can lose their focus, and in a tiebreak, a mere handful of loose points–or even just one–could mean the difference between a set won and a set lost. Federer knows how to pull through the pressure-cooker of a tiebreak, but he might have to sweat several bullets before he advances to the latter stages of this tournament.

Predicted Quarterfinal Matchup: Tsonga v. Federer. Semifinalist: Federer.

The Final Four: Semifinals and Final

Projected Semifinal No. 1: Roddick v. Murray

This is a match that would actually overshadow anything Federer might be up to. Roddick wants to knock the door down at a tournament where he’s done commendably well, yet never lifted the championship trophy. Murray has the hopes of a nation resting on his shoulders. Someone other than Rafael Nadal is going to make the Wimbledon final for the first time since 2005. These two men will try to reach the mountaintop of the “Andes” at SW19. Who will prevail? The Centre Court crowd will lift the favored son past the accomplished American.

Winner: Murray.

Projected Semifinal No. 2: Djokovic v. Federer

One month ago, and on clay, this would have been an easy call in favor of Djokovic. But the landscape in men’s tennis has shifted just a bit. And oh, this match is also on grass.

Winner: Federer.

Projected Gentlemen’s Singles Final: Andy Murray v. Roger Federer

If tennis fans can’t get a fourth straight Roger-Rafa final, this matchup would represent the next best thing. Just imagine the drama that would engulf all of Britain if Murray did what the beloved Tim Henman could never quite do: Reach the singles final at the Big W, and come within one victory of joining Fred Perry as a national hero. That scenario, in its own right, would create an over-the-top atmosphere. However, the magnitude of the moment would be increased a hundredfold by Federer’s presence on the other side of the net. If his 15th slam title is still within reach come the final Sunday of this year’s tournament, Federer will be visited by Pete Sampras, the only other man to win as many as 14 major crowns. Sampras said that he’d attend the championship match if Federer had No. 15 in his sights. On a day when Queen Elizabeth would be pulling for Andy Murray, another bearer of tennis royalty would be sitting in a choice seat, seeing if Federer would become the all-time Grand Slam king.

Who would win? Tennis, more than anything else. Picking a winner of the match–besides being very difficult–almost seems beside the point. But oh, if pressed for a pick? Might as well trust a champion to come through in the clutch.

Projected Champion: Roger Federer.